SUMMARY
Christ reigns for a thousand years, along with his followers who had been killed for their Christian witness.
ANALYSIS
After the defeat of the beast and its allies, Satan himself is bound for a thousand years. During this period, the saints reign with Christ. The vision is difficult to locate in time and space. It seems clear that the location over the door to the bottomless pitA pit is a hole or a cavity in the ground. While a pit can be actual in the Bible, it is often a metaphor for separation or abandonment. The Psalms frequently speak about going down to the pit, a place from which - it... More cannot be located on a map (20:1-3). It also seems unlikely that the beginning of this period can be neatly located on a calendar. What is most important is that the followers of JesusJesus is the Messiah whose life, death, and resurrection are God's saving act for humanity. More have a future with him. The description of the thousand-year kingdom does not actually say where the saints are reigning. Some think they reign in heaven, since that is where the thrones have been located in other visions (4:4). Others think they reign on earth, since Satan was banished from the earth at the beginning of this chapter. John says only that the saints are “with Christ” (20:4), and that seems to be sufficient. To be “with Christ” is the hope that this vision extends.
